Hoops Preview: Colgate At Notre Dame
NOTRE DAME (9-2) VS. COLGATE (2-9)
Where: Purcell Pavilion
Rankings: Notre Dame is ranked No. 25 in the Associated Press poll; Colgate is unranked.
Time/TV: 7 p.m./ESPN3
Matchup History: This is the fifth all-time meeting between Notre Dame and Colgate. The Irish are 4-0 against the Raiders, with the most recent victories coming in 2001 and 2007 at Purcell Pavilion.
Notre Dame Notes
• Senior guard Steve Vasturia struggled against Purdue, finishing with just three points, two rebounds and three assists in the 86-81 loss Saturday.
The team captain fouled out in the second half, unable to give the Irish the scoring punch they needed as the Boilermakers completed their 17-point comeback.
“Everybody’s going to struggle every now and then,” junior guard Matt Farrell said of Vasturia. “He’s a great player and he obviously didn’t have his best game.”
Vasturia is part of the core group that Notre Dame needs to succeed in order to beat quality teams.
“Steve was trying so hard, I feel for him. He had a tough night,” head coach Mike Brey said. “For us to beat really good teams like last two Saturdays, our big four all have to play really well. We didn’t have that.
“We’ll go to work on that in the next couple weeks before we have to play our opener in the ACC.”
• Purdue head coach Matt Painter on Notre Dame: “They don’t beat themselves. They don’t miss free throws, they don’t turn the basketball over, and they’ve had a lot of success in postseason play here the past two years.
“Notre Dame is going to be a really good team in the ACC. They’re going to play well. They’re going to be back in the tournament.”
• According to Farrell, confidence remains high.
“We know we can play,” Farrell said. “We know how good we can be, but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Junior forward Bonzie Colson said it’s going to take toughness.
“Who are we going to be as a team?” Colson said. “We’re going to have to fight adversity, we’re going to have to stay together. I wouldn’t say I’m tired of saying it’s a learning experience, but we’ve got to toughen up and battle a little more and see who we’re going to be right now.”
Matt Farrell — Averaging 18.8 points per game against power conference opponents, including a career-high 22 against Purdue.
Steve Vasturia — Had just three points against the Boilermakers.
V.J. Beachem — Did not score in the second half against Purdue.
Bonzie Colson — Has seven double-doubles this season, which leads the ACC.
Martinas Geben — Had a career-high nine points against Purdue, all in the first half.
Colgate Overview
The Raiders, a member of the Patriot League, are in the midst of playing 11 of their first 14 games on the road. They are currently on a five-game losing streak and are seeking their first-ever victory over Notre Dame, a series that dates back to 1914.
Colgate has played two power conference opponents this season — an 83-55 loss to Syracuse in the opener and a 72-59 loss to Penn State Nov. 23.
Head coach Matt Langel, in his sixth season, is a former University of Pennsylvania guard. He is a former Temple assistant. Langel is 61-95 in five-plus years as a head coach at Colgate.
The Raiders are led by freshman forward Will Rayman, who is averaging a team-best 13.0 points per game to go along with 4.7 rebounds. The 6-8, 200-pounder had a career-high 28 points against Penn State.
Junior guard Sean O’Brien (12.7 points per game) and junior forward Jordan Swopshire (12.4) also average in double figures. Colgate averages 71.4 points per game and allows 76.4. Notre Dame, meanwhile, is averaging 86.1 points per game and is allowing just 66.6.
Colgate has a 52-142 all-time record against current members of the ACC.
Outlook
Notre Dame has just one non-conference game remaining after Monday’s contest against Colgate, a Dec. 28 matchup against St. Peter’s. Finding their groove again will be key for the Irish, though that shouldn’t be a problem against two outmanned teams heading into ACC play.
Prediction: Notre Dame 90, Colgate 71
Vegas Spread: N/A
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